The Star Wars Expanded Universe is stuffed with many pleasant issues. A few of them are maybe pleasant as a result of they’re compelling drama, or raise fascinating questions about Star Wars. Others are maybe pleasant as a result of they’re completely unhinged. “What if a horse piloted an X-Wing?” is a type of issues that’s maybe all three.
That individual horse—that individual Thakwaash, to be particular—in query is Hohass “Runt” Ekwesh. A member of Wraith Squadron, the starfighter squadron/covert ops commando unit established by Wedge Antilles as a brand new tactical method for the New Republic’s conflicts with the myriad Imperial Remnants within the wake of the Battle of Endor, Runt (nicknamed for being comparatively small for his species, however nonetheless a number of occasions the dimensions of a median human) was a very expert, however brash pilot in Wraith Squadron’s founding roster. Thakwaash develop a number of personalities for specialised features that, with age and expertise, they study to raised management and change between. Runt’s pilot thoughts, whereas exceptionally proficient, had a really aggressive character that clouded his judgement and talent to observe orders within the warmth of battle, one thing he finally started to handle and overcome with the assistance of his wingman and shut good friend, Kell Tainer.
Did we point out he seems to be like a horse in an X-Wing pilot flight swimsuit? Yeah.
Presenting the covers of the following batch of Important Legends paperbacks with unique cowl artwork, hitting cabinets this fall!
Artwork by: @seanpphillips, @Doaly, and Juan Esteban Rodríguez pic.twitter.com/ZbJXiNoFB5
— Star Wars Books (@StarWarsByRHW) July 11, 2024
We’re all being reminded of this glorious Star Wars character—sincerely, he has an excellent arc in Aaron Allston’s Wraith Squadron books—as a result of Runt is on the newly revealed cowl for Solo Command‘s arrival within the Star Wars “Important Legends” assortment of EU novel reprints. Solo Command will launch within the newest wave of paperbacks due out this fall, alongside The Han Solo Adventures by Bryan Daley (with cowl artwork by Sean Phillips), and the Power Unleashed novel by Sean Williams (with cowl artwork by Juan Esteban Rodriguez).
Illustrated by Doaly, who has offered covers for all of the X-Wing books re-released within the assortment thus far, it’s a vivid picture, with daring colours and likewise, we can’t stress this sufficient, a horse in an X-Wing pilot flight swimsuit on the quilt. For what it’s price, though the Thakwaash have been all the time described as being equine in appearances, depictions of simply how horse-y they’re have different throughout the years. Some interpretations have pivoted Runt into a more alien appearance, nearly akin to the Bothans’ depiction within the EU, whereas others, as Doaly’s work right here does, have skewed extra carefully to “Literally A Horse.”
Solo Command‘s paintings can also be a part of a cool persevering with pattern Doaly has taken with the “Important” reprints of the Wraith Squadron books thus far, pairing a human member of the squad with one among their alien companions: Wedge Antilles stood alongside Jesmin Ackbar (Admiral Ackbar’s niece) on the cover of Wraith Squadron, Tyria Sarkin was paired with the Gamorrean Voort “Piggy” saBinring on Iron Fist, and now Runt stands with Shalla Nelprin on Solo Command. Few of those characters have transitioned from the Expanded Universe and into current Star Wars continuity, so getting brand-new paintings of all of them these years later is a deal with, and particularly artwork that prepared to focus on the varied mixture of pilots that have been a part of these squadrons.
However it additionally simply speaks to a number of the great contrasts of the previous Expanded Universe, and Star Wars at giant. The Wraith books have been gritty navy fight thrillers, all concerning the particulars of combating covert battles, spycraft and subterfuge alongside starfighter scraps in equal measure—so few characters felt secure, and like they might perish at any second. They continue to be, alongside the broader X-Wing novel sequence Allston labored on with author Michael A. Stackpole, some of the best storytelling the EU needed to provide. And but, right here we’re: saying that whereas proffering a guide with a horse in an X-Wing pilot flight swimsuit on the quilt.
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